Difference between revisions of "Scroll of scare monster"
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==BUC degradation and disintegration== | ==BUC degradation and disintegration== | ||
| − | If you pick up a blessed scroll of scare monster, it will become uncursed. If you try to pick up a cursed one, it will [[Disintegration|disintegrate]]. An uncursed one will set an internal flag the first time you pick it up, and disintegrate the next time unless blessed. This flag is not reset by blessing the scroll: any individual scroll can only be picked up while uncursed once. Scrolls that have been picked up once while uncursed will not stack with those that haven't. Removing a scroll from a container, whether on the ground or in your inventory, has no ill effect on it. If you pick up a cursed or "non-fresh" uncursed scroll, the game will report "The scroll turns to dust as you pick it up." {{refsrc| | + | If you pick up a blessed scroll of scare monster, it will become uncursed. If you try to pick up a cursed one, it will [[Disintegration|disintegrate]]. An uncursed one will set an internal flag the first time you pick it up, and disintegrate the next time unless blessed. This flag is not reset by blessing the scroll: any individual scroll can only be picked up while uncursed once. Scrolls that have been picked up once while uncursed will not stack with those that haven't. Removing a scroll from a container, whether on the ground or in your inventory, has no ill effect on it. If you pick up a cursed or "non-fresh" uncursed scroll, the game will report "The scroll turns to dust as you pick it up."{{refsrc|pickup.c|1327}} |
==Shops== | ==Shops== | ||
Revision as of 16:05, 24 October 2012
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|---|---|
| Name | scare monster |
| Appearance | random |
| Base price | 100 zm |
| Weight | 5 |
| Ink to write | 10-19 |
| Monster use | Will not be used by monsters. |
When a scroll of scare monster is on a square: monsters treat that square as if Elbereth were written on it. Non-blinded monsters which respect Elbereth will not attack you in melee while you are on that square, and they will not walk on the square when you are not on it. Monsters that don't respect Elbereth are unaffected.[1]
When read, a blessed or uncursed scroll causes monsters in your visual range to flee, though some may resist. If you are confused or the scroll is cursed when you read it, monsters in visual range will wake up, become unparalyzed, and unscared.[2]
Contents
BUC degradation and disintegration
If you pick up a blessed scroll of scare monster, it will become uncursed. If you try to pick up a cursed one, it will disintegrate. An uncursed one will set an internal flag the first time you pick it up, and disintegrate the next time unless blessed. This flag is not reset by blessing the scroll: any individual scroll can only be picked up while uncursed once. Scrolls that have been picked up once while uncursed will not stack with those that haven't. Removing a scroll from a container, whether on the ground or in your inventory, has no ill effect on it. If you pick up a cursed or "non-fresh" uncursed scroll, the game will report "The scroll turns to dust as you pick it up."[3]
Shops
Scrolls of scare monster in shops can get you in trouble in the early game. If you pick up a scroll in a shop and it disintegrates, you owe the shopkeeper for it; if you can't afford it, you'll have to sell your other items or risk angering the shopkeeper. Be careful picking up scrolls in shops until you have a decent amount of gold. A safer alternative is to #chat while standing on an unidentified scroll; if you price id the scroll as scare monster then only pick it up if you can afford to pay for it.
Moving scrolls that will disintegrate
If you need to move a scroll of scare monster without destroying it, try kicking it, or have your pets pick it up. If you only want a blank scroll, kick it into a pool of water or cancel it. A pet picking up the scroll will not cause the same detrimental effects that occur when you pick up the scroll, nor will stealing the scroll from a pet or other monster that is carrying the scroll while you are polymorphed into a nymph. This is the only way to pick up a cursed scroll of scare monster. Unfortunately, to do so requires a monster that picks up magical items, and unless the monster also ignores Elbereth (this basically means Archons and shopkeepers), it must be blinded.
Strategy
Reading these scrolls is almost always a waste. Their primary use is that they basically give you a one-turn non-erodable Elbereth square, often before you even have a means of engraving a semi-permanent Elbereth. A single scroll can theoretically last for the entire game if you have a sufficient supply of holy water, though you will need to use a potion every time you use the scroll. Of course, the scroll itself can be destroyed by fire if you don't keep it in a container, but keeping it in a container means you will need two turns to activate its protection.
For conduct players, these scrolls are important in that they give the benefits of Elbereth without breaking illiterate conduct. As such, they are about the only scroll useful to illiterate players, who will want to be very careful not to destroy or disintegrate them.
Messages
Reading it will result in one of the following messages:
- You hear maniacal laughter close by.
- at least one creature was affected
- You hear maniacal laughter in the distance.
- no creature was affected (excluding pets)[4]
- You hear sad wailing close by.
- cursed or confused, at least one creature was affected
- You hear sad wailing in the distance.
- cursed or confused, no creature was affected (excluding pets)
History
The scroll of scare monster originated in Rogue, where it had the same effect (although b/u/c distinctions did not exist).
References
- This page is a stub. Should you wish to do so, you can contribute by expanding this page.
This page may need to be updated for the current version of NetHack.
It may contain text specific to NetHack 3.4.3. Information on this page may be out of date.
Editors: After reviewing this page and making necessary edits, please change the {{nethack-343}} tag to the current version's tag or {{noversion}} as appropriate.
